The electronic industry has seen growth in the use of flat plastic cards incorporating computer chips therein. These chip or IC cards are also commonly referred as to as "smart cards". A smart card is a card incorporating at least one electronic component to which electrical connection must be made. These cards include contact pads so as to allow electrical connection to the electronic component on the card. Smart cards are commonly used in various consumer oriented apparatus and machines such as telephones, bank machines and the like.
One particular type of smart card commonly used in telephones, especially cellular telephones, is a mini-card or a mini-SIM (subscriber identity module) card. These cards have a particular industry-accepted standard for size, shape and location of the electronic components and contact pads. These mini-SIM cards are typically installed in the apparatus, such as the cellular phone, by a trained installer.
In order to effect electrical connection between the mini-SIM card and a printed circuit board within the cellular phone, an electrical connector is employed. These connectors also are manufactured in an industry-accepted configuration so that the mini-SIM card may be accommodated by the connector. However, for various purposes, such as for example, to change the subscriber identity, it may be necessary to replace the mini-SIM card within the phone. Thus, the electrical connector used to support the mini-SIM card in the phone must permit the easy replacement of cards therein. The art has seen numerous electrical connectors specifically designed for use in removably connecting various types of smart cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,629 discloses a connector for a mini-SIM type smart card having a base supporting a plurality of electrical contacts. The base is mounted to a printed circuit board in the phone. A cover is pivotally attached to the base and includes a slot for retention of the card therein. The cover may be pivotally closed onto the base to place the pads on the card in electrical connection with the contacts held in the base. The cover is movable from an open position permitting insertion and removal of the card to a closed position establishing such electrical connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,186 provides another example of a smart card connector having a cover which pivotally mounts to the base. The card may be inserted and removed from the cover from an open position. The cover is pivotally rotated to a closed position establishing electrical connection with the contacts in the base. The cover is spring loaded with respect to the base so as to mechanically lock the cover to the base in the closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,552 also describes a smart card connector having a cover for accommodating the smart card and which is pivotally mounted to a base. In addition to the cover being pivotally movable with respect to the base so as to move the smart card into connection with the contacts in the base, the cover is also movable linearly movable over the smart card to lock the cover to the base.
In each of the above-referenced patents, electrical connection is established between the contact pads of the card held in the cover and the electrical contacts supported in the base, by simple pivotal movement of the cover with respect to the base. Once the cover is pivoted down onto the base, electrical connection is established. Locking of the cover to the base is done in a separate sequential operation.
During installation it is quite common for the installer to select a particular IC card from a plurality of cards which is being carried by the installer for installation into a particular connector. As a result of transporting, handling and installing such a card, there is a tendency for the contact pads on these cards to accumulate dust and debris. Such accumulation may adversely effect the interconnection between the contact pads on the card and the contacts in the connector. Simple rotational movement of the card into engagement with contacts of the base does little to assure clean connection therebetween. Furthermore, as the cover is locked to the base in a separate operation, mechanical connection of the card to the connector is not always assured even where electrical connection is established. Over time the chip card could dislodge from the connector without prior warning.
It is therefore desirable to provide an electrical connector for accommodating a smart card which establishes electrical connection by wiping the contact locations of the card upon connection of the card with the contacts in the base.